1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to finger rings of the type worn as items of ornamental jewelry, and more particularly concerns an improvement in the manner in which such rings fit upon the wearer's finger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The aspect of the anatomy of a finger which is involved in the wearing of finger rings comprises the first and second phalanx bones, ligaments, tendons, flesh and the articular surfaces of these bones. Rings are normally worn encircling the shaft of the first phalanx. The proximal end of the second phalanx and the distal end of the first phalanx comprise the bone structure of the knuckle. The ends of the phalanges are enlarged to form the articular surfaces and constitute the prominence of the knuckle. The dorsal side of the first phalanx is convex and is tightly covered by skin with little compressive yield. The palmar side of the first phalanx has a yielding fleshy pad and flexion tendons more loosely covered by the skin. Thus, the portion of the finger where a ring is usually worn is an unyielding convex surface on the dorsal side and a fleshy pad on the palmar side. The greatest transverse dimension of the finger is the unyielding lateral or width dimensions of the knuckle of the first and second phalanges. This dimension is greater than the dimensions of the shaft of the first phalanx and the flesh encircled by a ring.
Nearly all finger rings employ a circular or substantially circular finger aperture having an interior diameter dictated by the size of the wearer's finger first joint knuckle. The ring must be large enough in diameter to slip past the knuckle. Since the interior diameter is larger than the width or depth of the shaft of the first row phalanx bones and flesh of the finger where rings are normally worn, the ring fits the finger loosely, thereby allowing the ring to turn easily.
Turning of rings about the finger is annoying since the gem or artwork carried by the finger fails to remain centered on the dorsal surface of the finger as is normally desired. The gem or artwork may rub against or injure adjacent fingers and may turn to appear on the palmar side of the hand where it may interfere with the wearer's grip, be damaged or cause damage to other objects.
The inherent looseness of circular finger rings may result in accidental loss by slipping over the wearer's knuckle during rapid hand movement or when the skin of the wearer's hand is cold, wet or lubricated with materials such as oil or soap. Valuable rings have been stolen from the hand of the wearer.
Among the various expedients earlier proposed for preventing the turning of a ring upon the finger, there has been disclosed non-circular ring shapes, rings comprised of interactive moving parts and attachment devices. Non-circular ring shapes are expensive to fabricate, and present certain inventory problems for the jeweler who must stock many different styles and sizes of rings. The presence of moving parts on the ring or on an attachment therefor presents the opportunity for eventual malfunction.
Attachment devices are often difficult to install onto a ring and generally require customized fitting by the jeweler. When so fitted, the wearer can wear the ring on just one finger. Certain attachment devices, although effective in preventing turning of the ring, cause certain discomforts to the wearer. It is also well known that a person's finger diameter changes periodically in view of minor fluctuations in skin moisture and temperature. Therefore, a ring which fits perfectly on one day may not fit properly on another day. Adjustment of earlier devices is generally achieved by the bending of a metal band disposed within the ring as a chord of a circle represented by the ring. Such adjustment often requires specialized tools for producing a V-shaped bend directed toward the finger for a tighter fit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,507 to Gesensway discloses an attachment for a finger ring for enhancing fitting and wearing characteristics, said attachment employing a replaceable rubber band. Although effective for its intended purpose, the occasional need to replace the rubber bands may be considered an inconvenience. The rubber band also detracts from the appearance of the ring.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an attachment device for a substantially circular finger ring which will prevent inadvertent turning of the ring upon the wearer's finger.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an attachment device as in the foregoing object which does not require customized fitting to the wearer's finger.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an attachment device of the aforesaid nature which enables the wearer to wear the same ring on any finger.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an adjustment device of the aforesaid nature which is self adjusting, thereby accommodating periodic changes in finger diameter.
An additional object of this invention is to provide an attachment device of the aforesaid nature which does not require periodic replacement of parts.
Yet other objects of this invention are to provide an attachment device of the aforesaid nature which can be easily installed upon a ring, can be adjusted without specialized tools, and which is amenable to low cost manufacture.
These and other beneficial objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.